CHAP. XIII.] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 4;53 



gascar bird, and with BaplLuga, an African genus ; but the pecu- 

 liar beak and nostrils approximate more to Cracticus and its 

 allies, of the Australian region, which should probably form a 

 distinct family. Ceycopsis is undoubtedly intermediate between 

 the Alalayan Ceyx- and the African Ispidina, and is therefore es- 

 pecially interesting. Meropogon is a remarkable form of bee- 

 eater, allied to the Indo-Malayan Nyctiornis. Prioniturus (the 

 raquet-tailed parrots) of which two species inhabit Celel)es, and 

 one the Philippines, appears to l)e allied to tlie Aiistro-lNIalayan 

 Gcoffroyus. 



We must finally notice a few genera found in Celebes, wlioso 

 nearest allies are not in tlie surrounding islands, and wliich thus 

 afford illustrations of discontinuous distributiou. The most re- 

 markable, perhaps, is Coracias, of wliich a fine species inhabits 

 Celebes ; while the genus is quite unknown in the Indo-Malay 

 sub-region, and does not appear again till we reach Burmah and 

 India ; and the species has no closer affinity for Indian than for 

 African forms. Myialcstes, a small yellow flycatcher, is another 

 exmple; its nearest ally [M. cincrcocapilla) being a common Indian 

 bird, but unknown in the Malay islands. The Celebesian liird 

 described by me as Prionochilus aiu'eolimbatus, is probably a 

 third case of discontinuous distribution, if (as a more careful 

 examination seems to show) it is not a Prionochilus, but con- 

 generic with PacJi.yglossa, a bird only found in the Himalayas. 

 The fine pigeon, Caipophaga forstc ni, belongs to a group found in 

 the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand ; but the Celebes 

 species is very distinct from all the others, and seems, if any- 

 thing, more allied to that of New Zealand. 



The Sula islands (Sula-raangola, Sula-taliabo, and Sula-besi) 

 lie midway between Celebes and the IMoluccas, being 80 miles 

 from the nearest part of Celel)es, with several intervening 

 islands, and 40 miles from Bouru, all open sea. Their birds 

 show, as might be expected, a blending of the two faunas, but 

 with a decided preponderance of that of Celebes. Out of 43 

 land birds which have been collected in these islands, we may 

 deduct C) as of wide range and no signilicaiice. Of the o7 re- 

 maining, 21 are Celebesian species, and 4 are new species but 



